Collaborating with the Taiwanese Government to Support Eastern Ukraine
The Czech Health Technology Institute (CHTI) is working to improve health care for wounded soldiers and civilians in Ukraine. It is currently helping to build primary care medical capacity in the most war-affected parts of the country.
"Improving the quality of care already provided by general practitioners helps relieve pressure on hospitals that are struggling with the influx of wounded soldiers and civilians," explains Marek Svoboda, CHTI's director.
One Aid Package for 15,000 People
The equipment for general practitioners' offices, gynecologists' offices, and one-day surgeries is mainly directed to the Dnipro and Kharkiv regions. The comprehensive aid package is crucial where infrastructure is destroyed or existing capacities are insufficient due to the ongoing conflict.
The first deliveries went to a hospital in the town of Marhanets, near the Kakhovka dam. "Our facility is equipped for quieter periods; for example, we used to deal mainly with traffic accidents that happened once or twice a week. But now we have people injured almost every day - they have something wrong with their head, their arms or legs are torn off, and we have to give them immediate help," says surgeon Dmytro Kamenev from the local hospital, appreciating the equipment.
Enhancing Impact through International Cooperation
The project involved both Czech and Taiwanese manufacturers. Thanks to international cooperation, the supplies have been supplemented with mobile X-ray machines that are independent of electricity and rapid tests for detecting viruses or bacteria. More accessible testing of the origin of diseases will help reduce the overuse of antibiotics that Ukraine faces. A project that directly addresses the issue of bacterial resistance is now being implemented in Lviv.
A clinic in one of the largest housing estates in Ukraine has also been newly equipped. An estimated half a million inhabitants live in Saltivka, Kharkiv, and thanks to the equipment supplied, the facility there has opened a day surgery room, an emergency room, a gynecology room, and two GPs. As part of the handover of all the equipment, local doctors and technicians were trained in its proper operation and maintenance.
The project to strengthen primary care in Ukraine will run from 2024 to 2026. The Taiwanese government has provided funding of $10 million, which will be invested gradually over three years.
